Five Reasons to Calibrate and Profile Your Display for Photography

1. Ease of Use – A calibrated/profiled display is easier on the eyes, renders more accurate color, and causes less eye fatigue that a device used “right out of the box”

2. Money – most people using an uncalibrated display for image editing and printing photographs find that they get into a “print-tweak, print-tweak” cycle, which involves making a test print, adjusting at the computer, another test print etc. Pretty soon, a $1 8×10 becomes a $5 or $6 version of the same thing….. accurate screen to print match saves time and money.

Double Alaska Rainbow by Eric Rolf (Wikipedia)

3. Control – a calibrated display can be set up to give you an accurate preview of the appearance of your print – even as you are mid-stream in editing. You know where you are, and you know where you’re going!

4. Accuracy – this is particularly important when working with customers. Many will want to see consistent colors for their products – even small variations are important – as they are part of the “brand” and the market identity of the company. Similarly, it’s human nature to want to see real green, real yellow, blue, etc – and images that drift from that kind of realism are often not taken seriously by the viewer.

5. Improving your craft – display devices change over time, even in as little time as a few weeks. A stable, consistent display gives you the opportunity to ensure that you are working to the same standards all the time, which trains your eye and mind – you’ll see more in your images, and you’ll develop improved skills in managing changes during editing (or even shooting!)

And a small bonus – display calibration/profiling isn’t just for color – it involves managing brightness, among other things. You’ll find it’s much easier to discern fine details in highlights and shadows with an accurately calibrated and profiled display.

see the Workshops tab above for info on my latest workshops – including the Palouse!